Frederick A. Johnson
A New York Republican banker who brought his business-world pragmatism to the U.S. House of Representatives during the Gilded Age.
1833–1893 (age 60)·American politician·Birthday: January 2
Biography
Frederick A. Johnson was a product of the bustling industrial town of Glens Falls, New York, where he built a successful career in finance before turning to politics. His election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1882 reflected the era's trust in men of commerce to steer the nation's economy. In Washington, he served two terms as a mainstream Republican, aligning with the party's priorities of protective tariffs and fiscal conservatism. Johnson operated more as a diligent representative of his district's interests—which included lumber, paper, and banking—than as a national headline-seeker. After his time in Congress, he returned to the world of New York banking and business, his political chapter a testament to the fluid movement between boardroom and committee room that characterized American public life in the late nineteenth century.
#1 When Frederick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1833
Frederick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1833Born
1838Started school
1846Became a teenager
1849Could drive
1851Could vote
1854Turned 21
1863Turned 30
President: Abraham Lincoln
1873Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1883Turned 50
President: Chester A. Arthur
1893Turned 60
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
Key Achievements
- Served two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York's 18th congressional district from 1883 to 1887.
- Was a member of the powerful House Committee on Banking and Currency during his tenure.
- Successfully managed and presided over the First National Bank of Glens Falls as its president.
Did You Know?
He was born in Warrensburg, New York, a small town in the Adirondack foothills.
Before banking, he initially worked in the lumber business, a key industry in his region.
His home in Glens Falls, a large Victorian structure, was a local landmark for many years.
“Sound currency and the protection of American industry are the foundations of national prosperity.”
